German prosecutor confirms receipt of complaint against Shahroudi
The German prosecutor's office says it has received a complaint against Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, head of the Expediency Discernment Council, who is undergoing treatment in Hanover.
A spokesman for the German prosecutor's office confirmed on January 9 that a former lawmaker from that country had filed a complaint, focusing on "crimes against humanity," against Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi when he was the head of Iran's judiciary.
The complaint was filed by Volker Beck, a former Green Party MP.
The German prosecutor's office did not specify how long it would take to decide on a possible enforcement order.
The Jerusalem Post also reported that the prosecutor's office in Lower Saxony, where the city of Hanover is located, is investigating a criminal complaint against Mr. Shahroudi.
Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, who has not been seen in public gatherings and meetings of the Expediency Discernment Council for some time, recently traveled to Germany for treatment.
Initial reports about Mr. Shahroudi's trip to Germany were confirmed by the country's government on January 8. Berlin said the senior Islamic Republic official was seeking treatment in the country due to a "serious illness" and that the request had been approved for "valid medical reasons."
It wasn't long before Shahroudi's presence in Germany attracted attention. He served two consecutive terms as head of Iran's judiciary between 1999 and 2009, by order of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The judiciary's performance has drawn much international criticism in cases such as mass executions, or its treatment of citizens, political protesters, civil and social activists, and various believers.
Volker Beck, the political figure who filed the complaint with the German prosecutor, told the Jerusalem Post that during Hashemi Shahroudi’s 10 years as head of the judiciary, more than 2,000 executions were recorded in Iran, many of them on charges such as “moharebeh” or religious or ethnic grounds. Mr. Beck also spoke of the “clear contradiction” of some executions with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, or various cases of torture.
Two days ago, the German newspaper Bild wrote on its front page: "A death sentence in Iran, a luxury patient in Germany."
On January 7, dozens of protesters protesting Shahroudi's presence in Germany gathered in front of the hospital where he is being treated.
Mr. Shahroudi himself, when he took over as head of the judiciary, strongly criticized the institution, saying he had taken over a “ruined” one. He has yet to respond to the allegations.
Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi was born in Najaf, Iraq, and is currently 69 years old. He came to Iran from Najaf after the 1979 Iranian Revolution and fought against Saddam Hussein's government by establishing the "Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution of Iraq." Mr. Shahroudi was a member of the Guardian Council and the fourth head of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic. He was appointed as the head of the Expediency Discernment Council this summer, a few months after the death of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Source: Radio Farda
